Dr. Daniel Birch

11/30/2018

Next up are advanced ankle mobility exercises. If you get a pain in this posture or are unable to get into the set up position this may not be for you at this time. Hip mobility, knee and ankle mobility and control are important in these postures.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pJ6kgLjDSX0

There are many ways to improve ankle mobility and this videos describes a few. Firstly, PAILs/RAILs for the ankle in a combat pose of deep squat. Then advanc...

11/01/2018

Continuing with the foot theme this month try out theses further advanced Toe exercises. Keep those feet strong!

10/18/2018

Foot Strengthening Month: 1st toe Extension Mobility

Turns out the mobility of your big toe is much more important than most people understand. We require first toe extension to propel our bodies forward with every step. When we don’t have the required mobility, our bodies find way to adapt. Some of these adaptions can cause issues down the road. This is a straight forward stretch and contraction exercise that can be done around the house to help get that big toe moving.

Mobility of the 1st Toe is very important for everyday function. This exercise can help improve mobility to improve proper function of the foot to avoid foot...

10/04/2018

Foot Strengthening: Short Foot

Feet require stability to normally function day to day as we walk. The short foot exercise acts as the standard starting point for stability exercises of the feet. This movement focuses at engaging the intrinsic muscles of the foot that create the multiple arches of the foot. The movement can begin with having the arch lifted using a hand followed by engaging the muscles of the arch to hold the position. Progression can involve actively raising the arch first seated then standing.

Further progressions can involve individual active control of the toes. First toe extension with the lateral four toes planted to the ground can begin to allow the toes to work independently. Furthermore, planting the first toe and lifting the lateral 4 advances these movements more.

In the following video Dr. Aidan Genik and myself review these two exercises.

Intrinsic foot exercises are very important for rehabilitation, transitioning to minimalistic shoes and improving functionality. The exercises included are t...

09/27/2018

Feet Feet Feet turns out they are pretty important. Shin splints to knee problems or hip pain to low back discomfort all can stem from the feet. There are many ways to strengthen and improve the functionality of your feet but the first step is taking off the shoes and socks. Understandably walking barefoot isn’t for everyone, let alone walking on stones. However, its activities like these that help our feet do what they were made to do. With nothing on your feet the many types of receptors can gain a lot of information from what they come in contact with and learn to adapt. But like everything things take time so don’t throw away the shoes just yet. Shoes do serve a purpose to keep feet safe from the world we have created, however, we need to understand that our feet are capable of much more than we give them credit for. So start with carpet or a grassy area and progress from there.

Over the next month I will be posting foot focused videos on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram to help free the feet and regain proper foot functionality.

08/27/2018

Thank you again to all those involved in the Capra Alpine Camp. In July my brother and I took part in an incredible three day course designed to educate us about the back country, improve trail running techniques and go adventuring in the beautiful back country of British Columbia.

Capra Alpine Camp 2018 - video 1

07/26/2018

The Couch Stretch with and without an Isometric contraction

Hip flexors play a vital role in Hip mobility. The re**us femoris and iliopsoas muscles act on the hip as powerful muscles to move you forward. These muscles can also become tight not allowing for the mobility needed to move properly. They are primarily tight as a result of sitting but can also tighten up with participation in a variety of physical activities. Soft tissue treatments can play a large role in helping tension or discomfort. However, the couch stretch can also work to relax the front of the hip as well.

The couch stretch, lunge stretch or hip flexor stretch is a great way to stretch the anterior hip and associated hip flexors. Kneeling into a lunge proceed b...

07/21/2018

The Figure 4 Stretch

Buttock discomfort and hip immobility are common issues that many people deal with on a daily basis. The figure 4 stretch is a straight forward exercise to work at relaxing the muscles of the buttock that can cause grief. Stretch can be assisted with belt or ball for self-release.

The Figure 4 stretch is a great stretch for the glute region of the lower back. This stretch can be done in supine, seated or standing to help relax and stre...

07/12/2018

Posterior Hip Capsule Mobilization

The movement and mobility of the hip is very important to allow for participation in activities of daily living. Proper hip mobility can avoid recurrent discomfort in the hips and low back. The posterior portion of the hip capsule is most commonly tight. Tension in the posterior hip can result in a variety of pinching and achy discomfort. The posterior hip capsule can be stretched allowing for improved motion through the hip and relief of discomfort.

Our hips are primarily tight and this can cause not only hip problems but also back issues. The Posterior hip capsule stretch can be done at home and help mo...

07/05/2018

Tactical Frogs-Hip mobility plays a vital role in enabling us to move normally throughout the activities of our daily routines. In many cases lack of hip mobility may result in discomfort in the hip or low back. For that reason I regularly assess, treat, and inform my patients about how to properly keep those hips moving. For the next few weeks I will show various videos that I use every day with my patients to improve mobility of the hips. Tactical Frogs are a great hip capsule and adductor stretches. Use a mat or towel under the knees to avoid discomfort.

Tactical frogs are great exercises to help improve hip mobility. Hip Mobility is very important for daily activity and vital to avoid compensation from the l...

06/30/2018

Thoracic Spine Rolling

Rollers and various other self-massage tools are valuable devices to assist in relieving tension. In the following video I demonstrate how to improve mobility through the thoracic spine using a roller. However, it is important to understand that rolling and/or soft tissue massage are not the only components to improving back health. Additionally, active exercises are vital for long term improvement.

Rollers can be used in various ways to help stretch muscles. However, it is only one step it is important to incorporate exercises that also improve enduranc...

06/21/2018

Thoracic Spine mobility is very important for a number of daily activities. Last week I showed a video involving a number of active thoracic spine rotations. Thoracic spine rotations can furthermore be advanced with the use of isometric contractions and a dowel. The following exercise can be done with any variable types of items from a hockey or broom stick and a roller or yoga block.

Thoracic Spine Dowel Rotations are a great way to work at improving thoracic and lumbar mobility. Squeezing any form of ball, yoga block or roller between yo...